mts recovery

Hi guys and top of the new year!

The first thing I did this year was to delete a file from my SD card in the camera that I was about to use. After searching left and right deep inside the internet, I downloaded an app from Panasonic called AVCCAM SD Card File Recovery. It chewed on my card for a while and brought back the file (and then some), but not the AVCHD structure it claimed it would do. So I can play the file with VLC, but importing with FCP doesn't work, because it can't see the file in the required data structure.

The question then is which program to use to convert this file to Prores.

Thanks,
Stefan

--
macpro 2x3 ghz dual core intel, 10.6.8, FCS 2

Stefan,
With your Snow Leopard operating system you'd need to use ClipWrap or Voltaic to convert a single .mts to .mov.

With recent Mac operating systems the accompanying QuickTime Player can open the .mts file and instantly save it as .mov. With QuickTime Player 10.2 that comes with OSX Mountain Lion, you'd choose "export" and get an H.264 .mov file compatible with your FCP. With QuickTime Player 10.4 that comes with OSX Sierra, you'd choose "save" and get an acv1 .mov file.

An acv1 .mov file requires a workaround back in Snow Leopard. Old QuickTime Player 7 can open it; choose to save as reference movie. This reference .mov file can then be opened by old Compressor and there make a .mov file in whatever codec you wish to edit.

You can dedicate a small volume to a recent Mac operating system for such conveniences, while continuing to run old FCP on the older operating system, where it runs better.

Dennis Couzin
Berlin, Germany

Hi Dennis,

that's good news. I do have a laptop with three partitions, Snow Leopard, Mavericks, and Sierra (I think - just for seeing if it still does it). So I can convert with QT in the Mavericks partition and I should be all set.

Thanks much,
Stefan

--
macpro 2x3 ghz dual core intel, 10.6.8, FCS 2

Stefan,
Mavericks should work simply. Using its QuickTime Player 10.3, choose "save" and make an H.264 .mov file compatible with your FCP.

For a free solution wholly within Snow Leopard, you can install PanasonicAVCCAMImporter. Then Snow Leopard's QuickTime Player 10.0 can open .mts files. Choose "save as" to make the H.264 .mov file.

Dennis Couzin
Berlin, Germany